Abducted Anglican priest dies in captivity

Venerable Edwin Achi, Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ungwan Maijero, Kaduna, has died in captivity.

A source disclosed this to Daily Trust on Wednesday night but did not go into details.

But Reverend Joseph John Hayab, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), confirmed the tragic incident.

“This is true but sad to the church and his family,” he said in response to Daily Trust’s inquiry.

Achi was kidnapped alongside his wife and daughter when bandits broke into his house in Nissi community, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna, on October 28, 2025.

The family had just relocated to the community when bandits struck.

The kidnappers later contacted the family to demand N600 million ransom.

The deceased hailed from Umuaja in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State.

In a statement, the church confirmed his demise and prayed for the release of his wife and daughter.

“With heavy hearts and deep sorrow, the Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, announces the passing unto glory of The Venerable Edwin Achi, Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ungwan Maijero.”

“Ven. Edwin Achi, who was kidnapped alongside his wife on 28th October, 2025, has been confirmed dead. His transition is a painful loss to the entire Diocese, the clergy, the Church family, and all who were blessed by his faithful ministry, humble spirit, and unwavering devotion to the service of God.

“We continue to pray for the release of his wife and daughter who are still in the hands of the kidnappers.”

The development comes at a time Nigeria battles one of the worse forms of insecurity in its existence.

Earlier on Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu declared State of Emergency on security and ordered the police and army to embark on mass recruitment.

He also directed the Department of state Services (DSS) to immediately deploy all the forest guards already trained to flush out the terrorists and bandits lurking in forests.

“The agency also has my directive to recruit more men to man the forests. There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil,” Tinubu had said.

“My fellow Nigerians, this is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas. The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we should all get involved in securing our nation.

“Those who want to test our resolve should never mistake our restraint for weakness. This administration has the courage and determination to keep the country safe and ensure our citizens live in peace.”

The President also called on the National Assembly to begin reviewing laws to allow states that require state police to establish them.

From abductions to killings, Nigeria has recently caught global attention for a negative reason, making opposition figures to mount pressure on the government of the day.

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